A Bright and Massive Ending
by PhoenixBird9000
Summary: The events of this storytranspire during and after the "final" ending in BBL. Scene 1 takes place before the meeting at the school. At this point, Sakuya still thinks Yuuya is dead. Scene 2 happens after the final scene in the BBL ending. Most of this is done in an outline dialogue style, similar to how you would read the text in the game, with the final epilogue being a narration.


Scene 1: The plan.

Kazuaki: Are you sure this will work?

Shuu: What cause do you have to doubt my research? Have I been wrong before?

Yuuya: Well there was that whole "wish" thing...

Shuu: *Sigh*

Shuu: Must we return to that? That was a misinterpretation of emotionally-charged intent that was not conveyed in a concise manner. If the mistake lies anywhere, it lies with those we are attempting to help, not my execution of their poorly communicated desires.

Kazuaki: As much as I agree with Yuuya, we need to move things along. We have a promise of our own to keep.

Shuu: Then may we continue without further unnecessary interruption?

Yuuya: By all means.

Kazuaki: I'm listening.

Shuu: Then please try to stay awake.

Kazuaki: I've had plenty of coffee.

Shuu: Hohoho! I'm glad you're learning to plan ahead after all these years. Curing Mr. Kawara should not pose a difficulty at this point. First, an injection of the immune-boosting compound, followed by a localized histamine inhibitor will allow his body to destroy the Charon virus internally, while avoiding an allergic rejection of the cells I implanted. Without the inhibitor he would suffer anaphylactic shock and lapse into a coma. After two weeks of administering the compound, the virus should be completely eliminated.

Kazuaki: I thought you said that the Charon virus was difficult to eliminate? And what about the cells? Won't they still pose a problem?

Shuu: Indeed. So long as Mr. Kawara's immune system remains suppressed the cells present no rejection risk… however, we cannot return him to the general population without an immune system now can we? As for the Charon virus… the immune boosting compound contains protein markers unique to the Charon virus. It will cause Mr. Kawara's body to flood with antigens that will render the Charon virus harmless.

Kazuaki: I would have expected you to have addressed the problem of the cells already.

Shuu: I was getting to that. At this point it is impossible to remove the tissue surgically. In order to destroy the cells I must re-infect Mr. Kawara.

Kazuaki: Re-infect? Are you mad?

Yuuya: No, it's ingenious really.

Shuu: As Mr. Yuuya has aptly noted, the process is really quite clever, hohoho. The virus in this case won't be the same one he's been carrying, but a variant of H5N1.

Kazuaki: But… we're all immune to H5N1. No bird has died from that since before the war.

Shuu: As I said, it will be a variant. This particular strain has been tested against both the introduced cells and Mr. Kawara's own cells in culture. It is lethal to mourning doves, but not to rock doves.

Kazuaki: If that is the case, won't that present a risk to the greater population? We're trying to prevent deaths here, not cause them.

Shuu: I said it was lethal to mourning doves. I did not say it was contagious. Once Mr. Kawara is injected with the virus it will spread through his system before his immune system has fully recovered. The gestation period will allow the virus to destroy the implanted cells before his own immune system can respond to and eradicate the virus.

Kazuaki: Hmm… if it is harmless to rock doves then how can it gestate at all?

Shuu: Did you not understand me? I said it is not lethal to rock doves. I did not say it was harmless. The virus WILL make Ryouta ill, but the effects would be akin to a mild form of common avian influenza. After his immune system has fully recovered he will have no lasting effects.

Kazuaki: That's… remarkable. I can understand why the research has taken this long, but there's still something I don't understand. If you're boosting his immune system, how will you be able to infect him and have the virus spread?

Yuuya: The hard part was determining the timing of injections. We have to get his immune system kick started to kill one virus while not having it too strong. Adding the Charon virus protein markers was really the key to it. His body will be too busy fighting that virus to respond to the new one. Once the Charon virus is gone his immune system can wake up and figure out how to tackle his flu.

Kazuaki: How long before he will be "normal"?

Shuu: He will need to remain quarantined, sedated, and on intravenous fluids for four weeks, with daily antigen screening to determine if any adjustments or secondary injections are required.

Kazuaki: Ok… what are the risks.

Shuu: It is possible that the H5N1 strain fails to destroy all of the introduced cells. There is a 70 percent chance of a fatal autoimmune response if this occurs.

Kazuaki: And if we don't do this?

Yuuya: Then Ryouta spends the rest of his life in an isolation ward, alone.

Shuu: He would still retain scientific value as a specimen, however that is not the intent of the research.

Yuuya: I don't think he'd want that anyway.

Kazuaki: What's the current holdup?

Shuu: I need one final set of test results from the auxiliary lab. I sent Shirogane to get them. He should be at the school by now.

Yuuya: JB Leone said he would meet us there. He wants to be present to oversee this and make sure there's no "Less than Bright and Massive behavior", as he put it.

Shuu: Shall we return Mr. Kawara back from his stint in purgatory then?

Scene 2: Awakening

Ryouta: Thirsty. Oh so thirsty….

Ryouta: What… wait… where am I?

Ryouta: Am I alive? I can't see… What's the last thing I remember.

Ryouta: I remember…

(flashback)

Nageki: "… Mr. Kawara."

Nageki: "Mr. Kawara, miss Tosaka. Can you hear me?"

Nageki: "Morning is almost here."

(end flashback)

Ryouta: That's right… they came for me. I am…

(opens his eyes)

Shuu: Good morning, Mr. Kawara.

Ryouta: Doctor Iwamine? Where…

Yuuya: Lie still, mon amie. Everything is alright.

Ryouta: I was… asleep. You came for me. You.. HIYOKO! MOTHER!

Shuu: Please, control yourself, Mr. Kawara!

Yuuya: Hey, easy there buddy, easy! That's it, lie back.

Ryouta: NO! Tell me… what happened to Hiyoko! Is Mother OK?

Yuuya: Shirogane has been checking on your mother every day, and between Doctor Iwamine and my little brother's insistence, his "father" has been paying for only the best medical care around. After all, "A Le Bel would honor any request from the esteemed physician Dr. Iwamine Shuu!", and Sakuya knows how to play the family game better than anybody.

Shuu: Now that he knows his true parentage he's been rather eager to engage in the fine social art of manipulation, especially towards his "father", hohoho!

Ryouta: I… I don't know what to say. Where is Sakuya, anyway?

Yuuya: Why, he's checking on Hiyoko, of course.

Ryouta: Hiyoko… she's alive?

Shuu: It would not make much sense to check on a dead person now would it?

Ryouta: Ok… I.. I'm kind of afraid to…

Yuuya: She's OK.

Ryouta: ?!

Yuuya: It's… kind of complicated. The doctor can explain it more concisely, even if I'd look more sexy doing it. Say, you need anything? It would be rude to just ramble on without offering you a drink or some food.

Ryouta: Actually, I'm really thirsty.

Yuuya (leaving): I'll be back in a flash. Doctor?

Shuu: Very well. I'll spare you the intricacies of the process, but recent discoveries in America and Eurasia allowed us to give Miss Tosaka a second lease on life. It seems that prior to the war the humans had been conducting genetic research. They had successfully mapped their own genome, and there were secret experiments by certain governments into genetically manipulating human DNA, as well as cloning. One lab in particular developed a method of cloning humans from stem cells grown from adult tissue cultures. Publicly this was illegal, yet military advancements were conducted in secret.

Ryouta: I suppose some things never change.

Shuu. Another lab had perfected a process of accelerating the growth rate of lab animals and was beginning embryonic trials with humans. The beautiful irony of this is that the first lab was in one country, and the second lab was in a country hostile to the other. During the war the labs had to be abandoned but the research remained intact thanks to cryogenic storage of the material and independent underground nuclear power plants that kept them functioning all this time. The humans were so busy trying to kill us that they forgot about their own research. Fortunately for us, the geopolitical reality meant that their research never crossed. If it had, it would have enabled the humans to grow armies of cloned human soldiers in a matter of years, if not months. The war may have turned out quite differently if that had happened. Also fortunate for us is the fact that the sum of all this research happened to be the perfect solution for Miss Tosaka's unfortunate situation.

Ryouta: I think my head hurts.

Yuuya (returning): Then take two of these and call me handsome. Here, an analgesic and some nice cold water.

Ryouta: Ahh, great! Thank you!

Yuuya: Nothing less than the best for my friends, mon amie.

Ryouta: So… what you're saying is.. you were able to grow a new body for Hiyoko?

Shuu: Indeed. Not only that, but the undamaged portion of her remaining brain tissue consisted of 90% of the cerebral cortex as well as the midbrain and part of the cerebellum. Most of the damage inflicted by the shock and explosion was limited to the corpus callosum, and the lower brain stem. The hippocampus was spared. Her personality and most of her memories, as well as athletic motor conditioning should be intact. Her body will require training over time to acclimate, however we should be able to remove areas of the brain from the cloned body and graft her intact brain tissue in its place. The corpus callosum can easily be repaired.

Ryouta: That means…

Yuuya: That means we get our friend back.

Ryouta: But… what about the clone? We're not killing one Hiyoko to get another are we?

Shuu: Ethicists have debated this for decades, but the reality of the processes developed by the humans that we discovered did not include a mechanism for "programming" the brain of the clone. I'm certain research was progressing in that area, but without it the clone has no mind. Its thought processes consist of a constant sinusoidal delta wave. All other brain activity except for basic sinus rhythm is null.

Yuuya: In short, it's in a perpetual coma and will never wake up. The lights are on, but nobody's home.

Shuu: Since there is no brain activity there's no personality to "destroy", so any potential ethical conundrum has conveniently solved itself.

Yuuya: It's kind of like self-folding origami. You know I've always thought of myself as a lady-killer, but this will be the first time I've ever made one from scratch!

Ryouta: So… is she… I mean, can we?

Shuu: Not just yet. The body is ready, but the old brain needs a bit of "shoring up" before it will be ready for transplant procedures.

Yuuya: Don't worry there kiddo, you'll be up and about in time for the party.

Scene 3: Resurrection

Ryouta: It's really her.

JB Leone: I had my doubts Sakazaki, but this is a Bright and Massive ending if I've ever seen one.

Shirogane: We did it. We finally did it.

Okosan: COO! COO! COO! (Okosan is happy! Race her again he will! Okosan feels a connection - True Pudding is with us!)

Anghel: Oh Edel Blau! Fallen on the field of battle, no more will the Demon Spores choke the way! Return to us once again! Be still, my crimson heart, for the phoenix has yet to rise…

Kazuaki: It's time. Doctor, administer the stimulant.

Shuu: One moment.

Nageki: Miss Tosaka? They're here. They kept their word.

(Tosaka Hiyoko opens her eyes…)

Epilogue:

It was hailed as the greatest medical miracle between both human and bird kind. Doctor Shuu Iwamine had intended to keep the research quiet, but secrets travel faster than light when certain Anghels are involved – along with a healthy dose of manga. The story of the Crimson Angel of Judecca and Edel Blau's struggle against the Dark Wizard Wallenstein, the fall of Edel Blau on the field of battle, being dismembered and frozen with her friend in the Ice Prison of Dis, only to be freed and resurrected later by a repentant Wallenstein who realized in horrified shock the error of his unholy ways after an ancient foe appeared and crippled him, along with the help of a ghost, Textoris Melodia Funus, whose unfinished business it was to ensure the Demon Spores spawned from his own corpse would never engulf the world in plague and death, and who also shrieved the foe of Wallenstein from his own guilt, became the hottest manga in all of Japan. When rumor spread that it was based on a true story – the strange goings on at St. Pigeonations, birds and humans from everywhere flocked in to see the most prestigious school and what truth may lie behind these rumors. When it became apparent that there was no way to hide the truth, information was leaked and posted on PeckyBeaks that implicated several Hawk Party officials in a plot to destroy the remaining humans using supposedly abandoned bioweapons research. This was dismissed by the Hawks as a Dove Party propaganda piece, until a very well-respected physician came forward that he was the former Hawks Party research scientist that had developed both the virus and the cure, and that several birds from both the Dove and Hawks party, and many without involvement in either party, had at great personal sacrifice of time and effort, labored not only to eliminate the dreaded Charon virus bioweapon but also to bring a nearly dead and dismembered human back to life. Video records and a massive data file was published publicly confirming the truth of this miraculous turn of events, and the research was corroborated and peer-reviewed by avian scientists in both American and the former Russian Federation who had been involved in the recovery of the cloning and growth acceleration research lost prior to the war. At this point it was impossible for the Hawks Party to refute. Public opinion in the avian world shifted toward near unanimous support of the Dove Party and the subsequent disbanding and outlawing of the Hawks Party. At the same time, when the humans learned of the miraculous resurrection of Tosaka Hiyoko she became a global celebrity overnight. As a result of the media attention she chose to use her celebrity status to take up the cause of her parents in bringing birds and humans together in peace, a cause they were martyred for, and a cause she was more than willing to support.

So where are they now?

Tosaka Hiyoko continues to act as an ambassador between birdkind and mankind, smoothing ruffled feathers wherever she goes. Kake Udon has surged in popularity owing to her stardom and love of the simple noodle dish. When provided with a side of red meat, it is considered to be served "Tosaka-style". She has not been forthcoming about any singular love interest, though she has gone on record as stating that she'll probably have it figured out by next year's Legumentines Day.

Ryouta and Hiyoko remain the best of friends. After receiving the best of the best of medical care, Ryouta's mother is much healthier and will probably outlive the average pigeon. Ryouta now studies avian medicine and works alongside Dr. Shuu for personal and medical reasons following his ordeal.

JB Leone was promoted from his position in the field to the head of Dove Party activities for all of Japan. He has been said to look forward to a "Bright and Massive Future" as the avian chair member of the newly forged Dove-Human Reconciliation Council.

Yuuya and Shirogane now keep in regular contact. Yuuya continues to lead a life of adventure, intrigue, and never ceases to be suave and sexy. His actual success with the ladies still remains unknown.

Anghel became independently wealthy almost overnight owing to the popularity of his manga, and has used his fortune to invest in a controlling share of one of the largest manga distributors in all of Japan. His first manga, Absolute Zero, was finally published with greatly improved artwork, though the few remaining copies of the original manga are a prize among collectors, described as "having a crude but compelling visual style", and "speaking to the heart with its jagged lines and rough sketch technique, possessing a level of sublimeness that the rework just can't match". The corporate board room doesn't understand him at all, but he's extremely popular among the artists. When asked, one artist had this to say: "He's a breath of fresh air. He doesn't talk and act like a suit: He's one of US. He GETS it, man! Whenever he's around it's surreal, like his vibes just flow right into you and everything makes sense." The new CEO, on the other hand, seems to be a bit of a slave driver, if a dedicated artist in his own right. Those who see him have described him as being a self-centered egotistical brightly plumed one-bird carnival. Side note: Company stock set to split next week. Also, an investigation has been launched as to the reason for a nearby competitor's warehouse facility spontaneously combusting overnight in a blinding flash of light. The cause of this incident is still unknown.

Shirogane finished his education and continues his role as a Le Bel, and still plans to take his stepfather's place when he's gone. Neither he nor his brother have disclosed their true identities to his father. Shirogane confided in Yuuya that his "father" means nothing to him now, but as the heir to the Le Bel family fortune he maintains a position to use his aristocracy to support Hiyoko's efforts, as well as to keep an eye on his mother. He has taken out a contract on his father if anything should ever happen to himself, Yuuya, or his mother. It is not confirmed, but it is suspected that he has blackmailed his father over the murder of his unhatched half-brother. A black bird, believed to be the family butler, seems to be having an unnerving effect on his father of late. The family has created a foundation so that more schools like St. Pigeonations, where humans and birds can coexist and learn together, can be created worldwide. Several such schools are now planned. Shirogane also moonlights as a piano player from time to time.

Kazuaki has returned to St. Pigeonations as a math teacher. When asked why he preferred this position, he said, "I owe it to Kazuaki." When prompted to elaborate he would not say anything more, except, "I still have some things I need to do. I'll join you soon." No further comment was given as the professor promptly fell asleep after this statement.

Rumors of a ghost haunting the library of St. Pigeonations continue. Students need not to worry though, as it appears to be seen reading a book quietly in the corner, though some students have reportedly been approached by a pale mourning dove offering friendly reading suggestions, only to vanish mysteriously following a turn of the head. Fujishiro Nageki also regularly visits the underground lab, watching over the progress of Dr. Iwamane and Mr. Kawara. Professor Nanaki Kazuaki has been seen to visit the library frequently after hours of late.

Shuu Iwamane is now the most famous and respected doctor in the world. There are dark rumors of having a more sinister past than is already known, but after his spearheading of the Phoenix Project to bring Tosaka Hiyoko back from the proverbial dead and subsequent release of information implicating the Hawks Party, any potential charges against him were preemptively dropped and he was given full immunity by Dove Party officials, citing squawker protection concerns (whistleblower to the humans out there) as the "official" reason, though public opinion, his razor sharp wit, contributions to human and avian medical science, and his oh-so fluffy, cuddly warm nature and genuine concern for the well-being of all living creatures probably had some impact on this decision as well. As for his current research, Dr. Shuu is working with medical student and former Charon virus carrier Kawara Ryouta in advancing the longevity of avian species. When asked why Mr. Kawara chose this path, he referred us to ask Ryouta himself, and he had this to say: "After having nearly lost my best friend, my mother, and being turned into a weapon of death and murder… after all that, I just want to help everyone. If St. Pigeonations has taught me anything it's that birds and humans can love each other, help each other, and work together. If we're going to live with each other and form lasting bonds of friendship then I'd like those bonds to last as long as possible. We need to live as long as humans not just for ourselves, but for them too." When asked why he wanted specifically to work alongside Dr. Shuu, and the prospects of success, he replied, "Yes… I know what Dr. Shuu did to me and to Hiyoko. I know better than anyone. I was there. The truth is, Dr. Shuu is a genius, and after putting Hiyoko back together and curing me I realized he's the best chance we have of seeing this thing work. Parrots are already long lived birds, much longer than pigeons, so we'll start looking there. Maybe we'll fail, maybe we'll succeed. I dunno, but even if it doesn't happen in my lifetime, I owe it to Hiyoko, I owe it to my mother, and I owe it to the world to try."

So it is that, a series of tragic events that began with the massacre at the Hatoful House orphanage and a misinterpreted wish for a world where birds and humans never fight again has now finally and truly put that wish on the road to reality. Dr. Shuu fulfilled his promise in the end, though not in the way he originally intended or expected, and through the actions of true friends, both avian and human, all the world will be better off for it.

THE END... for now.


End file.
